ARRL INTERNATIONAL DX CONTEST -- 1995
Call: W2UP Country: United States
Mode: CW Category: Single Unlimited
BAND QSO COUNTRIES
160 13 12 Inv vee @ 75 ft/NE Beverage
80 130 45 3 el sloper array
40 283 60 40-2CD @ 85 ft
20 504 79 )
15 308 82 ) Stacked TH7s @ 40/77 ft
10 43 25 )
-----------------------
Totals 1281 303 = 1,164,429
FT-1000 with Alpha 78 amp
Op time = 16 hours
Limited operating time this weekend. Good condx overall.
First time Murphy struck here - Due to melting snow, an anchor holding
80 mtr sloper pulled out of ground and got tangled up in lower TH7. Quick
trip up the tower to fix. Bandswitch on my Alpha 78 arc'ed and wouldn't
work on 20 or 15 on Sunday afternoon. Looks like it's gonna need to be
replaced. (Anyone know if you can get one piece of the bandswitch from
ETO?)
First hour rate = 90 (40 m)
Best hour = 165 (Sunday 1200Z - 20 m)
My vote for "best filter award" goes to KY1H. Twice he plopped down within
50 Hz of me on 20 and "apparently" didn't hear me. K3WW tells me it
happened to him too. Didn't seem to affect rate much during EU runs
rate much though.
Noticed some stations giving out different powers on different bands. Hope
ARRL is aware of this when checking logs.
--
Barry N. Kutner, W2UP Usenet/Internet: barry@w2up.wells.com
Newtown, PA Packet Radio: W2UP @ WB3JOE.#EPA.PA.USA.NA
Packet Cluster: W2UP >K2TW (FRC)
.......................................................................
>From Douglas S. Zwiebel" <0006489207@mcimail.com Mon Feb 20 22:04:00 1995
From: Douglas S. Zwiebel" <0006489207@mcimail.com (Douglas S. Zwiebel)
Subject: sprint/rabbits/fables+worms
Message-ID: <20950220220402/0006489207PK4EM@MCIMAIL.COM>
In a nutshell:
1) KM9P made an OUTRAGEOUS comment or two (best measure of a contester,
where are the big east coast clubs). You just can't make that type
of comments and expect not to ruffle some feathers.
2) K3ZO and K3WW made very eloquent and carefully phrased reply comments.
I was very impressed with Fred's thoughtfulness and HONESTY.
3) K7SS and K5GA (think I have those calls right) get into the 2nd act, but
make more of an emotional response (noise). Things heat up.
4) N2AA makes some well stated comments and gets carried away with
flamage at the end.
5) KB2R begs for cooler heads.
6) K3EST and KR2Q try to put a lighter twist on the fray.
Personally, I have gotten some comments strongly agreeing with the rabbit,
bear, worm story. I have also gotten some comments that don't exactly
coincide with what I was trying to say. I am NOT calling anyone involved
a fool. I think that it is foolish to run a "whose is bigger" type contest.
The deal with the bear and the rabbit is that both had great attributes,
but comparing apples and oranges just can't be done. And trying to do so,
is a waste of time because there is no answer which is satisfactory to
to both parties (or anyone?). All this type of thing can do is to polarize
the players. Sure, let's talk about features of each contest (or band, or
mode) but let's NOT make rash statements which simply beg for angry replies.
And in the end, there are no winners, just losers.
de Doug KR2Q@mcimail.com
>From fish@crl.com (Bill Fisher, KM9P Concentric Systems, Inc.) Mon Feb 20
>23:22:39 1995
From: fish@crl.com (Bill Fisher, KM9P Concentric Systems, Inc.) (Bill Fisher,
KM9P Concentric Systems, Inc.)
Subject: sprint/rabbits/fables+worms
Message-ID: <199502202322.AA11318@mail.crl.com>
>1) KM9P made an OUTRAGEOUS comment or two (best measure of a contester,
> where are the big east coast clubs). You just can't make that type
> of comments and expect not to ruffle some feathers.
I don't remember working KR2J in a Sprint... How does he suddenly become
an expert on it's ability to test an operator? OUTRAGEOUS is commenting on
things you know NOTHING about.
I stand by my guns.
You can take ANY top tenner in the CW sprint to W1-Whoever and he will
ALWAYS make the top ten in any DX contest. The opposite can not be said.
Maybe when I say "operator", I mean ALL AROUND OPERATOR and you guys mean DX
OPERATOR. OK.
So K1___ is the best DX OPERATOR? Gee, I don't know... K7___ has never been
to W1!
See my point?
---
Bill Fisher, KM9P - Concentric Systems, Inc.
>From Fred Hopengarten" <k1vr@k1vr.jjm.com Tue Feb 21 05:11:32 1995
From: Fred Hopengarten" <k1vr@k1vr.jjm.com (Fred Hopengarten)
Subject: Chairs
Message-ID: <2f497605.k1vr@k1vr.jjm.com>
This plea may not be worthy of the engineering and other
talents of this august body, but . . . ;-)
I've just spent a weekend sitting in a chair. 2400 QSO's
later, I'm giving serious thought as to a better pair of
chairs (one for the RUN station, and one for the MULT
station). Has anyone got any good ideas on chair brands and
models at reasonable prices? Hell, we fuss over band pass
filters which cost $30, why not fuss a bit over the subject
of good operating chairs?
Seems to me like a good subject for the reflector, but if
you wish to reply directly, I'll summarize (unless you
object). All thoughts welcome.
--
Fred Hopengarten K1VR
Six Willarch Road * Lincoln, MA 01773-5105
home + office telephone: 617/259-0088 (FAX on demand)
internet: k1vr@k1vr.jjm.com
"Big antennas, high in the sky, are better than small ones, low."
>From Danny Eskenazi <0005720561@mcimail.com> Tue Feb 21 01:18:00 1995
From: Danny Eskenazi <0005720561@mcimail.com> (Danny Eskenazi)
Subject: Contest abilities !?
Message-ID: <33950221011833/0005720561PK2EM@MCIMAIL.COM>
The WRTC was created originally as a test of operator abilities. The intention
was to put "good ops" from all over the world onto the most "level playing
field" possible, and let em thrash it out. Seems like a pretty good idea
as a way of finding the "best" ops in the hobby and rewarding their abilities.
If I'm not mistaken this whole "Sprint/DX contest" thread is a result of some
guys feeling strongly that the SPRINT is a real good test of ability, and
shoulld
be included as a criteria for eligablity for the WRTC95.
Gee...maybe we could throw the top ten DX guys and the top ten SPRINT guys
together and let em duke it out. Too bad the rules don't allow for them
all to be on WRTC teams, or at least in the same area during the event.
Anyone got a spare hundred acres?
Lessee..WRTC90 had top sprint champ and top dx contest champ all in the top
three teams. Guess their both "good ops"! (ps K1AR/DG WERE #1...I guess DX
contest ops ARE better than Sprint ops! :-)
keep it up boys...makes for great reading at the bottom of the cycle. Give us
some spots and the whole idea will be forgotten soon.
73 de K7SS
Danny Eskenazi k7ss@mcimail.com
>From Thomas J. Wall" <0006130613@mcimail.com Tue Feb 21 01:18:00 1995
From: Thomas J. Wall" <0006130613@mcimail.com (Thomas J. Wall)
Subject: W3BGN ARRL CW SCORE M/S
Message-ID: <00950221011800/0006130613DC4EM@MCIMAIL.COM>
W3BGN CW M/S score:
Band QSO CTY
160 98 48
80 335 80
40 749 93
20 960 99
15 728 94
10 61 42
Total 2931 456 Score = 4,009,608 before editing the CTY file.
Ops were W3BGN, W2REH and K2TW
Conditions were great and we had fun. Looks like we broke the record set by
K3LR in '93.
73 de Tom K2TW@mcimail.com
>From Thomas J. Wall" <0006130613@mcimail.com Tue Feb 21 01:26:00 1995
From: Thomas J. Wall" <0006130613@mcimail.com (Thomas J. Wall)
Subject: PJ0B in ARRL SSB
Message-ID: <05950221012650/0006130613DC3EM@MCIMAIL.COM>
Once again K2NG and K2TW will be on from Bonaire as PJ0B in the ARRL SSB
contest, Multi-Single. Outside the contest look for us /PJ4. Will try some
RTTY this trip. QSL all via WA2NHA.
Hope the amplifier survives this year, unlike '94 when the SB220 power
transformer went up in smoke after 11 hours!
73 de Tom K2TW@mcimail.com
>From Steve Sacco <0006901972@mcimail.com> Mon Feb 20 23:59:00 1995
From: Steve Sacco <0006901972@mcimail.com> (Steve Sacco)
Subject: KC2X 20M Single Band Score
Message-ID: <63950220235936/0006901972DC1EM@MCIMAIL.COM>
KC2X 20M Single Band Score
QTH: St. Cloud, Florida (15 mi East of the Mouse House)
Station: FT-1000/Titan
(2) stacked Force12 6 ele Yagis
1362 107 436,239
>From ken.silverman@atlas.ccmail.AirTouch.COM (ken silverman) Tue Feb 21
>02:15:18 1995
From: ken.silverman@atlas.ccmail.AirTouch.COM (ken silverman) (ken silverman)
Subject: N7ML M/2 - Comments
Message-ID: <9501207933.AA793332918@atlas.ccmail.airtouch.com>
While I haven't seen it come through, KE7X posted the N7ML M/2 score
(2267 x 312 = 2,103,192). I just thought I'd add some comments on the
operation. I for one enjoy reading the comments regarding band
openings and such.
Station: N7ML, M/2, Bozeman, Montana
Ops: N7ML, N7NG, KE7X, WM2C, AA7WT, KJ7GC, WA7U
We gave Mike's new station a test drive in it's first big time contest
effort. We kicked the towers, checked out the neat radio, and sat in
the drivers seat imagining we were on the east coast...
Station:
160: Lazy-V @ 195', 4 RX beverages (NE, SE, NW, SW)
80: 4 ele Lazy-V array @ 190', also used the beverages
40: Stacked Force 12 monobanders 3/3/3 @ 190', 120', 60' on rotating
tower #1, and a bi-square fixed at JA/SA at around 150'
between the two towers
20/15/10: 6/6/6/6/6/6 stacked Force 12 C-3 tribanders at 190' etc, on
rotating tower #2
KT34 on the "little" 90' tower #3
These are the biggest ham towers/arrays I've ever seen. I guess you
need big towers in Big Sky country!
Equip: FT1000, FT990, FT890, TS940, (2) 5-KL's, TL922, Home brew 160
amp
I was amazed at the conditions (remember, we were in Montana). Friday
started off with great JA runs on 15 and 20m, but that closed out
shortly after sunset. Our attention then turned to EU on the low
bands, but were were somewhat dissapointed that the big 40m array
never produced EU runs. (I guess it was so packed with east coaster's
and European's at S9 +30, that we were never heard that well) Friday
evening, at EU sunrise, we were suprised by a nice 2 hour run of
Europeans. Many were at ESP-level, but there were there in droves.
The Friday evening JA runs on 40 and 80 also never produced the
expected rate. Signals were strong, and we worked plenty of 5 watt
JA's on those bands, but no rate to write home about.
The Saturday morning 20m EU opening was incredible. It opened both
mornings at around 1430 GMT, and lasted until 2200 GMT. Saturday also
brought a nice 15 EU opening. Saturday afternoon brought JA/ASIA runs
on 15 and 20 that peaked at 170/hr, with a few consistant 80/hrs for
each band. 10m was open to someplace during the daylight hours, but
very little activty. Saturday evening was slooow to everywhere,
though 40/80 were open to everywhere.
During the wheee hours of Sunday morning, we were averaging 8 QSOs an
hour for around 5 hours. Zzzzz. BUT, at sunrise Sunday, an amazing
EU/AS/AF 40m longpath opening materialized. Signals were S9 +10 for
hours past our sunrise. We left 40m about 3 hours past sunrise, only
because we felt we worked it out, and 15m starting showing life. EU
signals were still S9+ when we moved.
Sunday was slow, but 10m opened to JA for a few QSO's, and the Sunday
afternoon mults were easy picking.
Best comment: from N7NG quoting K3EST: "give me the best west coast
station, and an east coast station with a tribander and dipoles, and
then we'll compete in this contest"
Funniest Comment: From VR2BH "is Wayne around? (N7NG)" "nope I
replied, I guess he's sleeping" "Better watch out, that's typical of
him! Hi Hi Hi"
Ken WM2C at N7ML
P.S. Nice station Mike! And many thanks for letting us take it for a
test drive. It was a real pleasure.
>From Hodge Thorgerson David Cameron-INBA <hodge@servidor.unam.mx> Tue Feb 21
>02:48:06 1995
From: Hodge Thorgerson David Cameron-INBA <hodge@servidor.unam.mx> (Hodge
Thorgerson David Cameron-INBA)
Subject: Upcoming version
Message-ID: <Pine.SOL.3.91.950220204649.12544C-100000@servidor>
>
> Now, try saying "Sultans of Schwing suite" three times fast .... ..
>
> Alan, K6XO
Don't forget the "Schweetheart" on the end!! David 'RX
hodge@servidor.unam.mx
>From Hodge Thorgerson David Cameron-INBA <hodge@servidor.unam.mx> Tue Feb 21
>03:46:31 1995
From: Hodge Thorgerson David Cameron-INBA <hodge@servidor.unam.mx> (Hodge
Thorgerson David Cameron-INBA)
Subject: XE1/AA6RX ARRL DX CW SCORE
Message-ID: <Pine.SOL.3.91.950220212519.12544G-100000@servidor>
1995 ARRL DX TEST CW
XE1/AA6RX Single Operator/All Band/Low Power
BAND QSOs MULTs
160 263 45
80 372 54
40 613 55
20 624 57
15 727 59
10 567 51
--------------------------
TOTALS 3166 X 321 SCORE 3,039,228
TS-440S/AT, BSR SX386 LAPTOP W/N6TR LOG VER. 4.02
A3S @ 140' (ON 10' MAST ON ROOF)
40M INV VEE @ 140'
80M DROPPING DIPOLE FROM 130'
160M INV VEE @ 140'
Operating time approx 39 hours. I took a two hour nap on Friday night and
on Saturday I was simply overcome with fatigue and punched out at 07Z. I
failed to awaken until 13Z. There was just no physical stamina this weekend.
Major noise problems also dampened my enthusiasm. I ended up keeping my
noise blanker ON for nearly the entire contest, including 10 meters!!
My last QSO was a treat! VE5SF ( I hope I am not busting his call here!)
finally found me on 40m for my last QSO. What a GREAT way to end the
contest!! I was grinning from ear to ear as I watched the last 10
seconds tick off before 0000Z.
My first ever 160m antenna! It worked FB and I had quite a pileup on Fri
night. I had to go split to get anything going! I will count the number
of stations worked on all 6. There were MANY of you, MIL GRACIAS!!!
73, David XE1/AA6RX hodge@servidor.unam.mx
>From w6go@netcom.com (Jay O'Brien - W6GO) Tue Feb 21 03:44:32 1995
From: w6go@netcom.com (Jay O'Brien - W6GO) (Jay O'Brien - W6GO)
Subject: Chairsy
Message-ID: <199502210344.TAA19967@netcom18.netcom.com>
Hi Fred..
Chairs are a great subject for contesting, as they are certainly the
foundation upon which we place our operators. (sorry about that!)
For years I had back problems, especially after long stints in a
chair. That problem is gone now, but it wasn't cheap.
Call your Steelcase dealer. They make an office chair called a
Sensor. Make sure you get the right one for you, and make sure it has a
high back. It will set you back $800 or so, but you will agree it was
money well spent. If you can't find a dealer, Steelcase is in Grand
Rapids, MI, and their phone number is 616 247-2710.
73, Jay
w6go@netcom.com
PS. This is not intended to be an advertisement for Steelcase and I am in
no way associated with Steelcase (except as a happy customer).
>From slay@netcom.com (Sandy Lynch) Tue Feb 21 04:05:18 1995
From: slay@netcom.com (Sandy Lynch) (Sandy Lynch)
Subject: Chairs
Message-ID: <199502210405.UAA15132@netcom13.netcom.com>
Okay ... since others have made comments ... so will I.
I highly recommend the chairs manufactured by the HERMAN MILLER
company. I know they have a display center down in the Silicon
Valley (Mt. View, I think).... I bought one several years ago
and then paid another couple hundred bucks to have it airfreighted
over to Japan (where I lived at the time). In Japan, they sell
for over $1000 ... but in the US ... considerably less. They
are "wonderful" ... and well worth checking out for use in
a long term operating/contesting environment.
As a point of reference...I feel almost the same way about my
Herman Miller chair as I do towards my FT-1000D... I wouldn't
trade or sell it for anything else. ;-)
Cheers
Sandy WA6BXH/7J1ABV
slay@netcom.com
>From Celia Tony Becker <becker@shell.portal.com> Tue Feb 21 04:10:59 1995
From: Celia Tony Becker <becker@shell.portal.com> (Celia Tony Becker)
Subject: Chairs
Message-ID: <199502210411.UAA20594@jobe.shell.portal.com>
k1vr@k1vr.jjm.com wrote:
> I've just spent a weekend sitting in a chair. 2400 QSO's
> later, I'm giving serious thought as to a better pair of
> chairs (one for the RUN station, and one for the MULT
> station). ... Hell, we fuss over band pass
> filters which cost $30, why not fuss a bit over the subject
> of good operating chairs?
It is most certainly a worthy subject, and a good deal of
contemporary engineering and design is being expended on this and
related subjects. We call this field ergonomics, or human factors
and most of the repetitive motion injuries one is likely to
encounter can be eliminated or reduced by it's proper application.
A few notable principles applicable to the subject of seating:
Holding the same seated position for long periods causes fatigue.
The angles of the body should be at approximately 90 degrees, espcially
the head.
An adjustable chair and adjustable worksurfaces are _required_. Your
head and esp. neck should be verically over your spine while seated,
looking at the monitor, and your forearms shoild be resting on a chair
arm with the keyboard at just the right height and angle.
You may have to make some adjustments to the operating position, but
this is supposed to be FUN! remember, if it hurts, your doing it wrong!!!
Lack of movement also causes pooling of the blood in the lower
extremities, leading to increased risk of circulation problems and
clotting of the blood. TAKE BREAKS! Get up and walk around.
Many books on the subject have been published. No, its not a
new age, everyone is a victim, politically correct, liberal approved
field filled with flaks and fakirs. Real medical facts only.
AE0M, Tony Becker - becker@shell.portal.com - Silicon Valley, U.S.A.
>From Randy Thompson <k5zd@iconics.com> Tue Feb 21 04:08:15 1995
From: Randy Thompson <k5zd@iconics.com> (Randy Thompson)
Subject: More about Sprints
Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.91.950220230405.22888A-100000@genesis.iconics.com>
On Thu, 16 Feb 1995, Jirasak Visalsawat (aka K3ZO) wrote:
> of the skills that it takes to be a good contester. I continue to
> maintain, however, that it NOT a good test of the skills associated with
> copying weak signals through heavy QRM, and of those associated with
> being able to accurately copy an unfamiliar callsign. It is my very
> personal opinion that these are the two most important skills for a DX
> Contester to have, and therefore the Sprints provide little relevant
> practice for those to whom DX contesting is their primary interest.
>
Geee...seems to me it is a lot harder to correctly copy numbers, names and
states of guys on 20 and 40 scatter than it is to correctly guess the exchange
in the CQ WW!
This is a discussion over the difference between apples and bannanas! I
wonder if the Olympic atheletes sit around and argue whether the 100
meter dash, or the 10K, or the marathon is the best overall test of a
runner?! [The 100 meter dash if we count endorsement dollars! The DX
contests if we count plaques...]
Randy Thompson, K5ZD
---------------------------------------------
Note new address (9 Dec 94): k5zd@iconics.com
---------------------------------------------
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